I wrote last week however had no reply from you. Maybe I am asking silly questions but I would like to have a reply from you to help ease my anxiety regarding an exposure I had on Sep, 28.

I preformed unprotected oral sex for around 10 seconds and performed unprotected (again) insertive vaginal sex twice for around 5 seconds each. The lady was not a sex worker but someone who was residing at my hotel during a business trip abroad. I have no background of the lady and do not know her status.

Around 4 weeks after I had a white tongue. From what I gathered from the internet I did not have trush. It stayed there for a couple of days until I washed and scraped my tongue.

After that, sometimes I feel slight pain in my left groin. Neck and armpits seem ok No visible enlarged nodes anywhere but maybe the constant thought of them getting enlarged is driving me nuts.

I had no other symptoms like, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, night sweats or fatigue. I am in my 7 week after exposure and constantly thinking that other symptoms will follow.

Doc if you may kindly answer:

1. Describing my exposure would you consider to be a high risk one or a not so risky one?
2. Would you consider the above so called symptoms related to HIV/ARS?
3. Being in the 7th week after exposure, is there a limit of when symptoms can appear? I mean could they crop up after 10 weeks?
4. Would a test at 8/9 weeks be a good indicator even though not conclusive?

Dear Bob please help me! I am decided to have a test at the 8th week.

Thanks

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi,

Proceeding directly to your specific questions:

1. "Not so risky one."

2. Nope.

3. ARS symptoms vary considerably from person to person. They generally appear two to three weeks after HIV transmission.

4. HIV-antibody tests taken prior to three months are not considered to be definitive and therefore are not recommended.

My advice would be:

1. Ratchet down those anxiety levels!

2. Get a single HIV-antibody test at the three-month mark.

3. Use condoms in the future to avoid ever going through this unnecessary stress again!

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